Theresa May's statement that "enough is enough" when it comes to terror attacks in the U.K. sounded like a vow to recharge counterterrorism efforts in the country.
But, according to GroundTruth Project Director Charlie Sennott, there's more to her statement than meets the eye.
"When Theresa May says, 'enough is enough,' of course that reflects the wonderful stiff upper lip of the British," he said on Boston Public Radio today. "She's saying those words almost in a way to steel the resolve of the people of the U.K. more than to talk specific strategy."
According to Sennott, the British approach to counterterrorism is actually notably effective. They are focused on "surveillance and disruption," which he called a "very British approach that goes back to their long struggle with the IRA."
He pointed out how this attack illustrated the speed of British intelligence.
"They're quite good at it. They responded to this attack and they had the three attackers dead in eight minutes," he said. "Think of the incredible urgency of the moment for those investigators to try to thwart another attack, and how they're going all full-court press on their surveillance."
Sennott explained how the surveillance and disruption approach requires the British monitor many suspicious cases simultaneously.
"They have reported there are 500 active cases under investigation of what they believe are plot attempts. They have some 3,000 different suspects who are under surveillance who they believe are militants who could carry out an attack, and thousands more who are side players to those plots [whom] they're also watching," he said. "That is an amazing thing to think that you have to monitor all of that knowing that ISIS appears to have a campaign to carry out attacks."
Sennott speculated about how immigrant ostracization in the U.K. might radicalize some residents there. He also said the American attempt to include immigrants in the national experience, while not always successful, goes a long way.
"The more we embrace diversity, the more we embrace religious freedom, it acts as what I call a retardant foam on militancy, and the U.K. doesn't always have that," Sennott said.
Charlie Sennott is a news analyst at WGBH, where he also heads up the GroundTruth Project . To hear his interview in its entirety, click on the audio player above.
